


Never Had a Shot

by iwillhaveamoonbase



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M, NSFW, but only for a moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 04:00:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15040229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwillhaveamoonbase/pseuds/iwillhaveamoonbase
Summary: She was a fire that burned as bright as the sun.  He had noticed that the first time he saw her, on his ship with her fiancée.





	Never Had a Shot

She was a fire that burned as bright as the sun.  He had noticed that the first time he saw her, on his ship with her fiancée.  Astrid Hofferson commanded respect with a single look and her skills and wit made it hard to deny her.  She was also one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.  When she laughed, it was as if the world stopped.  Eret had never been in love before, but it was hard not to fall for Astrid.  All the men in Berk who had begged for a chance were proof of that.

                                                              XxX           

It was a warm day and Eret’s twentieth day of dragon training.  He had spent most of those days learning from Fishlegs and was finally getting to the practical application.  All of the information the Dragon Riders had accumulated was fascinating, but Eret was more of a hands-on learner.   Currently, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut were on the ground beside him, grooming their own dragons.  Astrid and Hiccup had little time to help now that they were adjusting to their new roles as chief and second-in-command.  “Thanks for showing me the ropes, guys.”

“You’re welcome, Eret,” Ruffnut whispered, getting as close to him as possible. 

Eret stepped back a few steps, slightly behind Skullcrusher.   “Yes, well, thanks again.”

A young man came through the gates of the arena, Gustav if Eret remembered correctly.  Gustav smiled at them with a look of heartbreak clear as day.  The other Dragon Riders gave a short ‘hey’ as they noticed him enter.  “I just saw Astrid leaving Hiccup’s house.  I’ve never seen her look that happy.  How long do you think until the wedding?”

“A few months, maybe less,” Fishlegs guessed.  “Hiccup wants to give everyone plenty of time to properly grieve Stoick.  And Astrid made it pretty clear to let Hiccup work out being chief before bringing up the wedding again.”

Eret watched Gustav nod before slowly making his way towards a Monstrous Nightmare.  “Astrid doesn’t appear to be the type to want to be tied down so early in life, though.  Were they betrothed at birth?”  It was one of the questions that burned in the back of Eret’s mind.  Did he ever even have a shot?       

“No, nothing like that.  Hiccup has always loved Astrid and Astrid seemed to notice him long before Toothless.  We sure didn’t notice it, but, looking back, it’s kinda obvious.  She also kissed him in front of the whole tribe after he woke up from the battle with the Red Death.”

Snotlout rolled his eyes before shrugging.  “Hate to admit it, but Fishface is right.  Astrid would punch anyone in the face for even looking at her.  Except Hiccup.”

Tuffnut smirked, pointing a finger right at Snotlout.  “Remember the time Astrid pushed you off a cliff just for trying to hold her hand?  And then Hiccup grabbed that same hand one minute later and she blushed?”

Fishlegs giggled behind his hand.  “Remember when Snotlout called her ‘babe’ and put his arm around her?  I thought for sure she was going to take his arm off with her axe.”

“Or when Hiccup whispered in her ear and Snotlout tried the same thing?  Hiccup got a smile and Snotlout got a broken hand,” Gustav added; his spirits suddenly lifted.

“How about, ahaha,” Ruffnut held her stomach as she tried to get her words out.  “How about when Snotlout told her she could cry on his shoulder, and she threw him clear across the arena?”

Snotlout crossed his arms and mumbled to himself, suspiciously sounding like ‘shut up, all of you.’  “ _Anyways_ , it took way too long for them to be a couple.  If he died tomorrow, she’d spend her life dedicated to the flock.”

Ruffnut and Tuffnut nodded along before laughing a bit.  “Astrid _would_ become the crazy dragon lady if something happened.  Probably live in Hiccup’s house with a bunch of Night Terrors, Stormfly and Toothless,” Tuffnut supplied.

“Either that or she would go back to Dragon’s Edge; probably remake his old hut with the forge,” Ruffnut added.  “They promised to meet in Valhalla if anything happened, like, forever ago.  They’ve basically been married for years, hel, even before they started dating.”

Fishlegs nodded again before turning to Gustav.  “Sorry, Gustav, but you’ve known this was coming.”    

Gustav sighed forlornly before nodding.  “I know.  It’s just…she’s been my dream girl for a long time.  I guess I kinda always hoped she would change her mind.”

Snotlout snorted at that.  “Have you _met_ Astrid?  Once she sets her mind on something, nothing is going to change it.  She and Hiccup are a stubborn match made in Valhalla.”  Eret laughed with them.  He couldn’t let anyone know that he coveted the fiancée of the man who had given him a new home and a new life.  

                                                             XxX 

He heard from other members of the island how they only had eyes for each other; Astrid making it very clear to all that she would reject anyone else.  Hiccup had been devoted to Astrid for over a decade and it had been no secret.  Frankly, it was the kind of thing you heard in fairy tales.  The young boy who was taking extra time to become a man and the young girl everyone desired, falling in love and growing together. 

It didn’t make it any easier, though.  All day long, the village talked about the perfect pair, the Chief of Berk and his General/fiancée.  They walked together most days; hand in hand and smiling.  Toothless and Stormfly were usually next to them, like two children following their parents.  Well, that wasn’t quite right, but it felt like that.  Groups from all over the Archipelago were coming in preparation for the wedding, including Dagur the Deranged, Queen Mala, the Bog Burglars, and the Winged Maidens.  Hiccup was beloved and respected by more people than Eret could have imagined and Astrid was revered by all who met her.  The ceremony was probably the biggest event the Archipelago had seen in generations.

“Chief Hiccup is so smart, isn’t he?  All of these wonderful inventions.  And that sword?”

“Chief Hiccup was so brave going against Drago.  I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it for meself.  He lost a leg saving us from the Red Queen and now this.  Truly, Berk will enter a great new age under his leadership.”

“General Astrid beamed yesterday just at the mention of the Chief’s name.  The wedding is coming in just a week.”

“The General is serving as a fantastic second-in-command.  Did you see how she handled that trader who wanted more scales than they deserved?”

Eret pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked over to the Chief’s house.  At least, he would be free of all of that there.  Valka had said that Hiccup was at home, working on a new invention and Astrid was on patrol right now.  He heard more whispers as he made his way up the hill.  “Did you see the dreamy smile on Astrid’s face yesterday?”

“No.  What happened?”

“She got fitted for her wedding dress.  The day is almost here.”

“Ah.  That girl was never much for that stuff.  But, if I were marrying the love of my life, I would probably be smiling all day, too.”

Eret reached the large door and knocked twice.  There was no answer, but Valka had said to just walk in.  There was a lot of trust in Berk, something Eret greatly appreciated.  He entered only to see Toothless sleeping in front of the fireplace, but no Hiccup.  Eret raised a brow before making his way up to Hiccup’s room.  Maybe he had went to get something from upstairs.

He quickly realized that that was not the case.  As he peeked through the door, he saw a very feminine back with long blonde hair moving up and down.  Soft moans could be heard in Astrid’s voice and a few groans in Hiccup’s recognizable one.  Large hands were on Astrid’s delicate hips before a quick swat at her perfect, toned, ass.  A cross between a moan and purr escaped her.  “Yes.  _Yes_.  Do it again, babe.” 

“Careful, milady, or I’ll think you like a bit of pain.”

“And what if I do?”  A louder moan was heard and Eret had had enough.  It was bad enough he had to hear about them all day long, he didn’t want to see them in the throes of passion as well.  He walked back down the stairs to sit in one of the chairs.  He would wait for Hiccup.

Eret didn’t know how long it had been, but he eventually heard soft steps coming down the stairs followed by two voices.  “I gotta go on patrol, Hiccup.  Snotlout said he saw something weird when he passed by Changewing Island.”

“Really?  What was it?”

“I’ll figure it out.  _You_ need to focus on those new traders trying to rob us blind.”

“I know, I know.  Thanks for helping with that.”

“Anytime, babe.  Oh, hey, Eret.”  He turned to see the pair looking back at him.  Astrid had her long hair back in its braid and Hiccup had a few new smaller ones in his own hair.  A slight tilt of her head, and a bright red hickey was on Astrid’s pale throat.  Besides that, no one would have guessed what had been happening between them not too long ago.   

“Hello, Chief, General.”

Hiccup chuckled a bit at that.  “Just call me ‘Hiccup’, Eret.  I’m still the same person I was when we first met.”  When they first met.  Yes, he was already the hero and future leader of Berk.  And Astrid was already his betrothed. 

“Keep calling me ‘General’.  I like it,” Astrid smirked.  Her small hands were on her hips and she tilted her shoulders a bit.  She looked every bit the arrogant General and, honestly, it was hot.  Hiccup leaned into her ear to whisper something that made her blush bright red.  A devious smirk suddenly touched her lips before she grabbed Hiccup’s shirt and pulled him close.  “Later, _Chief_.  I look forward to it.”

“Of course, General.”  Astrid lightly pecked his cheek before walking out the door, a short wave directed at Eret.  “Were you waiting long, Eret?”

“No, Hiccup.  Not at all.  I would like to discuss something with you.  My men from the old ship were thinking about going further north for a bit.  I wanted to go with them, but, with Skullcrusher-”

“Eret, Skullcrusher has chosen you to be his rider.  You’ve received training and we trust you.  It’s honestly your choice where you go from here.”

“I haven’t been in one place this long in years, to be frank.  I want to see new lands and come back from time to time.  Maybe stay in a few years.  Or, maybe we’ll become the new traders.”

Hiccup sat down next to Eret, a contemplative look on his freckled face.  “Of course.  Just, promise me you’ll take care of Skullcrusher.  As silly as it may sound, he was my Dad’s dragon, his other half for a while, and I don’t know if I could bear hearing that something happened to him.”  There it was; the very reason Eret couldn’t resent Hiccup.  He was a good man, loyal to his tribe, human and dragon alike, and cared for every individual under his banner.  Perhaps, this is what Astrid had fallen in love with. 

“I’ll take good care of him.”

“Thank you.  Now, if you want to become the new traders, I’ll get you a list of all the things Berk always needs a supply of.”  Eret laughed and lightly smacked Hiccup’s back.            

                                                         XxX             

Eret stayed long enough for the wedding; Hiccup had asked him to.  It was a simple affair, as per both Astrid and Hiccup’s request.  Eret had seen many weddings and he had never seen one of such importance with so little pomp and circumstance.  If anything, the wedding seemed to be a formality more than anything else.  Astrid could now live with Hiccup and any child they had would be legitimate.  The biggest part of the ceremony was when Toothless and Stormfly had sent fire and plasma into the sky, the other dragons on Berk and Viking war cries joining in.    

The Meade Hall held a celebration for seven days; the village of Berk and those who had travelled danced and dined and slept in a prolonged moment of joy.  Astrid and Hiccup had departed after a few hours to begin their wedding night, Stormfly and Toothless in tow.  “How much you wanna bet those two will have a babe by the end of the year?”

“I’ll be shocked if Astrid wasn’t pregnant already.  Those two weren’t fooling anyone.”  A roar of laughter from the village and rumbles of joy from the dragons were deafening to Eret’s ears. 

“Hiccup’s a lucky man.  Don’t know how he tamed the Valkyrie General of Berk-”

“‘ _Tamed’_?  Astrid wears the leather in that relationship.”

Eret left the Hall and walked down to his ship.  He didn’t want to hear anymore.  He knew there was no chance.  Astrid was Hiccup’s, had probably always been.  What upset Eret the most, was that he couldn’t blame her for choosing Hiccup.  Hiccup was the Dragon Master, a brilliant inventor and ironsmith, a great leader, and was one of the pair who had removed Drago from this world. 

It would have been easy for Hiccup to become an arrogant man who demanded tribute from his people.  For him to become like Drago and go to all the tribes in the Archipelago and command they bow before him.  Hiccup could easily take over the known world with his large army of dragons.  He didn’t, though.  Hiccup was too humble and it was obvious that he was still not comfortable being chief.  He expected his tribe to try their best, but if they took a few missteps, he would figure out a way to set them back on the right track.  It was easy to accept being part of the Isle of Berk with him in charge.

Just as he reached his ship, he saw Astrid on the dock, a contemplative look on her face.  Stormfly was a little off to the side, probably looking for a midnight snack in the water.  “Evening, General.  Or, should I be calling you ‘Lady Haddock’ now?”

“‘General Haddock’ is fine.  Where are you going, Eret?”

Eret raised a brow and Astrid raised one in return.  “Chief didn’t tell you?”

“Of course he did.  But, we didn’t think it’d be this soon.  Look, I know something’s up.  Just spit it out.”

He felt his mouth scrunch up a bit at the side.  He could lie to Astrid, but if she found out the truth, she would sic Stormfly on him.  The last thing he needed was Deadly Nadder spikes in him.  “I’m getting away for a bit.  I…need some space.”                                                      

“Okay.  Well, Berk is always open to you.  Take good care of Skullcrusher; Hiccup will have a meltdown if he gets a letter saying he’s dead.”  It came off as a joke, but there was a fire in Astrid’s eyes; the threat almost palpable. 

“I will.  Astrid, why are you here?  Aren’t you supposed to be…consummating your union?”

“Hiccup saw you walking out of the Hall.  He was worried about you and I offered to go.  He was having phantom pain about an hour ago, and I wanted to let him rest.”

“Ah.  So, you weren’t here to stop me?”  Eret grimaced at the desperate, lonely sound of his voice.  Gods, what had she done to him?

Astrid scrunched her face a bit before sighing.  She ran a hand down her braid, fingers twitching.  “I’m not stupid, Eret.  I’ve known how you look at me for a while now.  You’re hardly the first man to look at me like that.”  A soft look appeared, the same one that he had seen when she said her vows.  “I’ve loved Hiccup for a long time.  Nothing anyone says or does could ever change that.  Not even Valhalla will separate us.”  She looked out to the sea for a moment.  Her profile allowed the moon to hit her cheekbone and cast a soft glow on that beautiful face.  Maybe, she was more like the moon.  “We promised forever and we meant it.”

“I didn’t think otherwise, Astrid.  I can’t help how I feel, though.  Seeing you every day and being reminded that you are the kind of woman I had always wanted, but can never have.  It’s almost maddening.”

Astrid made a non-committal sound.  She’d probably heard it all before from men all over the Barbaric Archipelago.  As she turned to face him, her hands landed on her hips.  She tilted her shoulders and widened her stance.  “I’m not a prize.  There is no ‘having’ me.  I fell in love with Hiccup because of who he was back then and who I knew he would become.  What can I say, I like ‘em brilliant, lean, and heroic.  I’m apparently also a sucker for green eyes, a large heart, and skilled hands.  Sorry, but you weren’t my type to start with.”

If it were anyone else, Eret would think them cruel.  But, Astrid was simply being honest and trying to ease him out of his affections for her.  He could respect that.  “I know.  I don’t blame you.  I would like him, too, if I was in your place.  I’ll leave in the morning.  Tell the Chief for me.”

“Will do.”  Astrid put a hand on his shoulder as she walked past him.  “See ya, Eret, son of Eret.  Remember what I said about Skullcrusher.  I would hate to have to put my axe through your head.”  She called for her dragon and made her way back towards her new home; Stormfly trotting besides her.  He could hear the dragon’s chirps and Astrid’s quiet laughter at the prodding in her side.             

He watched her until she disappeared up the hill.  He would get Skullcrusher and his men in the morning; let them all enjoy the last night of celebration.  Healing his heart could wait.  A quiet chuckle escaped him as he went below deck.  Hiccup was a great man, and Eret was proud to call himself a member of the Isle of Berk.  For the first time, Eret could truly say that he was happy for the newly married couple. 


End file.
